Assault on US consulate

Page Tools

Related

Muslim militants stormed the heavily fortified United States
consulate in the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah last night in the
latest bloody attack on Western interests in the oil-rich
kingdom.

Security forces shot three of the attackers dead and captured
two in the attack.

Four Saudi security guards were reported to have been killed in
a gun battle but this could not be confirmed.

A US spokeswoman said there were no American casualties in the
attack, the first major assault by suspected al-Qaeda militants in
the kingdom since May.

"Members of the deviant group this morning threw explosives at
the gate of the US consulate in Jeddah and then entered the
compound," the Interior Ministry official said, using the
Government's language for militants loyal to Saudi-born al-Qaeda
leader Osama bin Laden.

"The security forces dealt with the situation and managed to
control it. Three of the attackers were killed and two were
arrested after they were wounded," he said.

Witnesses said the militants had hauled down the US flag and
burned it after bursting into the mission.

A US embassy spokeswoman said no American diplomats were killed,
wounded or taken hostage in the attack.

"We have accounted for all American diplomats on the compound in
Jeddah. There were no American casualties. None are being held
hostage.

"Our local workforce was also on duty this morning. We are still
in the process of accounting for all of them," spokeswoman Carol
Kalin said. She said two local staff had been wounded.

The security sources said initially the gunmen had taken 18
local staffers hostage but diplomats said they might have been
trapped in the building during the shoot-out.

The sources said all staff in the consulate were now safe.

One of the sources said heavy security had prevented the
attackers from getting into the compound by car. They had to shot
their way in on foot through a side entrance.

It was the first big assault in Saudi Arabia since al-Qaeda
militants attacked oil companies and a housing compound in the
eastern city of Khobar in May, when at least 22 foreigners and
seven security men were killed.

Gunmen have killed several individual foreigners since then,
while Saudi forces have hit back with a crackdown which has killed
or captured some leading militants.

Witnesses said a fire broke out after the gunmen attacked the
consulate complex and traded fire with guards. Saudi National
Guards later entered the complex and opened fire.

Flames could be seen coming from the building and two thick
plumes of smoke rose into the sky. Hundreds of security men sealed
off the area. Police around the building sheltered behind their
cars and helicopters were seen flying over the area.

Saudi security forces near the consulate.Photo:Reuters

The US embassy in Riyadh and the missions in Jeddah and Dhahran
were closed after the attack.

Saudi Arabia has been battling a wave of al-Qaeda violence
against foreigners and security forces since May 2003.

Khalid Almaeena, editor-in-chief of Jeddah-based Arab
News, said the scale of the operation had taken people by
surprise. "We never expected such a type of thing, especially after
the calm period we had over the past few months," he told the BBC
last night.

Around 170 people, including foreigners, security forces and
militants have been killed in attacks and clashes since the first
suicide bombings hit Riyadh 18 months ago.